Fastening means for containers



Oct. 19, 1965 w. M LEOD FASTENING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1965 IN VENTOR. M/l/am Mc Lead y gwzh/bwfl Oct. 19, 1965 w. MOLEOD 3,212,666

FASTENING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 50, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Will/am McLeod BY W ZQ/ZM United States Patent 3,212,666 FASTENING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS William McLeod, Deerfield, Ill., assignor to Halsam Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 254,916 1 Claim. (Cl. 220'55.7)

The present invention relates to containers of the type customarily used to store toy parts or the like, and more specifically to end-closures for such containers.

The containers customarily used to store toys or the like are closed at the ends by covers frictionally engaging the container body portion. To frictionally fit the cover, it is manufactured with a peripheral flange of crimped construction. The friction fit, however, does not positively lock the cover to the container. Accordingly, it is possible for the cover to be accidentally removed and for the contents to be spilled. Furthermore, after repeated use as where a child takes the cover off each time he plays with the toys, the tight fit between the cover and the container is lost. In addition to the above disadvantages, the friction fit covers are diflicult to manufacture because particular attention must be given to the shape and size of the interfitting parts, otherwise the necessary close fit for friction attachment will not be achieved.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an end-closure for a container of the type customarily used to store parts, for example toys or the like, which can be positively locked yet easily removed.

It is an ancillary object of the present invention to provide locking means which includes axially aligning openings in the container and end-closure respectively.

As a more specific object of the present invention the openings are automatically brought into register upon seating of the end-closure on the container. Along these lines, it is an object to provide an end-closure which can be repeatedly removed and continues to be positively lockable with the container body portion.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a bail for carrying the container which, because of its resilient characteristics, also comprises a springable retainer in the locking means for selectably maintaining the container and end-closure in locked engagement. Along these lines, it is an object to provide a bail which can be detented in a retracted position for ease in storing the container.

It is an overall object of the present invention to provide a lockable container end-closure of a versatile nature in that it is adaptable for mounting in many kinds of different container body portion cross-sectional shapes and economically manufacturable using ordinary container materials for example, plastics, cardboards, sheet metals and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of one end of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial section taken along 2--2 in FIG. 1 with the container body portion and end-closure assembled;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of an alternative embodiment of a container end constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial section taken along 44 in FIG. 3 with the container body portion and end-closure assembled; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective of another alternative embodiment of a container end constructed in accordance with the present invention.

While the invention will be described in connection with several preferred embodiments, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to such embodiments, but on the contrary, I intend to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

Turning to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a container body portion 10 and an end-closure or cover 11 embodying the present invention. The end-closure 11 fits an opening, in the present instance at one end 12 of the container body portion 10 with a flange 13 juxtaposed the body portion walls. Both the container body portion and end-closure are non-circular, in the present instance generally rectangular in cross section, and manufactured of material commonly used in container construction, such, as plastic, cardboard, sheet metal and the like. A bail 14 is provided for carrying the container.

In accordance with the present invention, the endclosure 11 is positively locked to the container 10, both being non-circular in cross section, by a locking assembly 15 which includes openings in the container body portion 10 axially aligning and automatically registering with openings in the end-closure flange 13 for locking engagement by spring biased inwardly projecting end portions on bail 14. In the present instance the locking assembly 15 has a pair of openings indicated at 16, '17 in the container walls and a pair of end-closure openings indicated at 18, 19 in the flange 13 for receiving bail end portions 20, 21 respectively. The bail end portions when installed, fit through the respective sets of registering openings to positively lock the end-closure 11 in the installed position. Because the bail is constructed of springy material such as steel wire, the end portions 20, 21 are biased in the installed position thereby acting as retainers to oppose removal of the end-closure 11. To

remove the end-closure 1, the bail end portions 20, 21

can be easily and quickly pressed outwardly out of the respective pairs of registering openings unlocking the end-closure. Shown in FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the end-closure 11 positively locked to the container body portion 10. To facilitate seating of the end-closure 11 within the container body portion 10 and effectuate tighter fit therebetween, a peripheral lip 22, as well as a rounded edge 23 are provided on the end-closure 11. The lip 22 also protects the top edge of the container body portion 10 from splitting or collapsing. The rounded edge serves to guide the end-closure 11 into correct axial engagement with the con-tainer body portion 10. The noncircular cross section of the latter and interfitting endclosure 11 assures automatic registering of the respective openings so that even a child does not have difficulty in locking the two structures together.

To facilitate locking, the respective openings 16, 17 in the container 'body portion and 18, 19 in the end-closure are automatically brought into axial alignment upon seating of the end-closure on the container body portion. This is because the openings are the same center distance from the respective seating surfaces of the container body portion and end-closure. It is a specific feature of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-5 that the respective openings in the container body portion and end-closure are also brought into automatic register as well. To explain, once the end-closure is seated on the container, the respective openings are in register ready to receive the end port-ions 20, 21 of the bail. The automatic register is particularly advantageous where the containers are for toys and children must assemble the contain body portion, and endclosure.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. The end-closure 11a has registering openings 18a and 19a to register with openings 16 and 17 in the container body portion 10, however, it is constructed with separating upper and lower sections 24, 25, respectively. Accordingly, an enclosure is provided in the end-closure 11a to store segregated contents 26, in the exemplary embodiment dominoes, separate from the contents stored in the container proper. To facilitate assembling the upper and lower sections 24, 25, respectively a recess 28 is provided in the upper section 24. To maintain the sections 24, 25 assembled in a unitary end-closure construction, lugs 29, 30 are provided integral with the upper end-closure section 24. Apertures 29a, 30a respectively, are provided in the lugs for registering with respective apertures 18a, 19a in the lower end-closure section 25 and apertures 16, 17 in the container body portion 10.

FIG. 4 is a partial section showing bail projecting end portion 20 installed to maintain the two sections 24, 25 of the end-closure 11a assembled and locked to the container body portion 10.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention shown in FIG. is means for detenting the carrying member, in the present instance a bail 31, in a retracted position to facilitate storing the container body portion 10. In the preferred embodiment, the structure for detenting the ball 31 includes an end-closure 32 provided with an upwardly projecting rib 34. At positions where the bail 14 would normally rest atop the end-closure 32 two pairs of aligned recesses, 35, 36 and 38, 39 respectively, are provided for receiving the bail. Because of its resilient character, the bail can be pressed down into the recesses and detented. Accordingly, the bail can not swing freely and is out of the way so that the top of the end-closure 32 has no uneven projections such as would exist if the bail merely rested on the top surface of the end-closure. This facilitates storing, in that one container can be placed upon another without tipping.

The present invention provides an end-closure and container body portion locking structure adaptable for use with a variety of cross-sectional shapes and which can be constructed using ordinary container materials. The locking structure remains reliable even after repeated disengagement of the end-closure and container body portion.

The low cost of manufacture and simplicity of design are particular advantages in the toy container art where the present invention finds particular, though by no means exclusive utility.

Though the end-closure can be constructed of translucent, transparent or opaque material, if a transparent material is used, an added advantage results in that the contents can be displayed through the cover. Furthermore, in the specific embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, a sample part can be displayed in the enclosure formed by upper and lower sections 24, 25 respectively, by making the lower section 25 opaque while the upper section 24 is transparent,

I claim as my invention:

In a container, the combination comprising, a noncircular container body portion having an open end, a non-circular end-closure receivable at said container body portion open end and substantially closing said end when fitted thereto, said end-closure having an upper section and .a lower section engaging to form a separate enclosure at said container end, at least a pair of openings in said container body portion disposed substantially near said container end, respective openings in said upper and lower end-closure sections automatically registering with said body port-ion openings when said end-closure is fitted to said body portion end, and a bail having a pair of ends for insertion through said respective sets of registering openings for locking said end-closure to said container body portion and for maintaining said end-closure top and bottom sections in engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 38,902 6/63 Lawson. 804,504 11/05 Maxwell et a1. 220 997,324 7/11 Peshek 22055.7 '1,737,249 11/29 Kempter 22095 2,147,471 2/ 39 Tyrrell et al 22095 3,124,266 3/ 64 Morgan 22055.7

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

